Trade: a measure to moderate rent increases

Thinning in sight between lessors and their commercial tenants.

While the opposition, classic between the two parties, has become tense with the Covid and the inflation of unpaid bills linked to confinements, the government is working to limit the rise in rents for shops, restaurants, bars or cinemas.

This Tuesday will be published a decree modifying the calculation of the commercial rent index (ILC), on the basis of which the leases are revised every year.

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Contrary to what has been done since 2008, it will no longer include the retail turnover index in its quarterly calculation.

Only the consumer price index (for 75%) will be taken into account, and that of construction costs for the remaining 25%.

It is a means of limiting the volatility of this index, we slip into the corridors of Bercy.

But also and above all to neutralize the effect of the good health of online retailer sales, which by doubling between 2014 and 2021, have strongly contributed to pulling the ILC upwards.

According to projections by INSEE and professionals in the sector, this new method of calculation, in force from Wednesday, should halve the revaluation of rents expected this month, to bring it around 2.5% over one year. , while an increase of about 4.8% was expected.

, we add to Bercy.

Improve relations between traders and landlords

Approved by federations of traders and major donors such as the National Council of Shopping Centers (CNCC), the measure aims to clean up very tense relations since the Covid crisis, which has seen a number of closed stores stop, out of opportunism or real difficulties in paying their rents.

While businesses have since reopened and seen their activity rebound, the anticipated increase in their rental charges with the old calculation method led landlords to fear a further deterioration in their recovery rate.

Especially since a number of businesses are still waiting for public aid to offset the effects of the health restrictions of 2021. At 12% of missing rents, this recovery rate for shopping centers is still three times higher than it was. before the health crisis, according to the CNCC.